Acute kidney injuries, recognition, prevention, prerenal and postrenal renal failure
1. Big picture
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden decline in kidney function causing reduced glomerular filtration rate, accumulation of nitrogenous waste products, electrolyte/acid-base disturbance, and often reduced urine output.
The examiner wants you to classify AKI quickly into:
| Type | Main problem | Typical correction |
|---|---|---|
| Prerenal AKI | Too little renal perfusion | Restore effective circulating volume/perfusion |
| Intrinsic renal AKI | Kidney parenchymal injury | Treat cause, avoid further injury |
| Postrenal AKI | Urinary obstruction | Relieve obstruction urgently |
Core oral-exam sentence:
“In AKI, first assess life-threatening complications, then identify whether the cause is prerenal, intrinsic renal, or postrenal. Prerenal and postrenal AKI are often reversible if recognized early, but delayed treatment can progress to acute tubular necrosis or permanent renal damage.”
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